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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bass · rush · craft · saw · trunk · perch · march · leaves

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. march — the month
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. saw — the tool
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. march — the month
  9. bass — low music
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. perch — the fish
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bass — the fish
  17. craft — boats
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. saw — the tool
  20. craft — a skill
  21. march — music
  22. rush — hurry
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. leaves — lets stay

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com